


he protecc; he attacc; he also atracc

by ACatWhoWrites



Series: A Prompt a Day in the Month of May [14]
Category: EXO (Band), K-pop
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Age Changes, Alternate Universe - High School, Bullying, M/M, Microfic, Minor Violence, Non-Graphic Violence, Short One Shot
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-05-13
Updated: 2018-05-13
Packaged: 2019-05-06 09:31:53
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 782
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14639025
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ACatWhoWrites/pseuds/ACatWhoWrites
Summary: Kyungsoo isn't good with words. Neither is Sehun, but they make their feelings known.





	he protecc; he attacc; he also atracc

Sehun's tall, but he's slight. _Noodly_ , Kyungsoo would say, teasing him about his long limbs. It doesn't take much to get him on the ground; one of the boys grabs his shirtfront, tucks a foot behind his ankle, and pushes him backwards.

"Be grateful I avoided your face."

Sehun squeezes his eyes shut, flinching to ready for whatever blow he's anticipating, but there's nothing except a grunt that doesn't come from him. He opens his eyes and scrambles to his feet.

Kyungsoo has the boy flat on his back, knee in his gut, and a rock in his fist. " _Be grateful I'm avoiding your face_ ," he growls, and he brings the rock down—hard—on the boy's shoulder.

"What's going on?" The assistant principal and a couple teachers run over, hauling Kyungsoo off by his sweatshirt. Sehun takes his hand and pulls him away more, also to hold him back in case he attacks the boy again.

Nothing anyone says can deescalate the situation, although by dropping the rock right away, the school police aren't called.

In the office, Sehun quietly tells the assistant principal about the fight. "He was just trying to help me. It was self defense, sir."

"I want to believe you, Mr. Oh, but both of them have histories." Sehun has been a favorite target of bullies for years, and Kyungsoo has always been there to fend them off. The principal sits forward, hands clasped. "They are going to be suspended."

Sehun nods, eyes downcast.

Kyungsoo gets three days, the rest of the week, but the other boy is suspended for the rest of the month for instigating the fight and threatening other students to do his homework.

Sehun skips school for the rest of the week and stays in bed. Jongin brings his homework and tells Kyungsoo as much as he can about his own work, gleaned from some older classmates.

The Sunday before Kyungsoo's return, he knocks on Sehun's bedroom door and enters without waiting for a reply. “Where've you been?” he asks.

“Here.” Sehun sits up, hair more like a nest, and pulls aside the pile of comic books he's been re-reading to make room for Kyungsoo, who doesn't usually need to be invited and often will start picking up Sehun's room while Sehun whined.

This time, he closes the door and kind of hovers, wringing his hands. It's a nervous habit Sehun's only witnessed a handful of times, when Kyungsoo doesn't know what to do.

Sehun pats the bed beside him. "It's just me, hyung. Talk to me. You can say whatever you need to."

"I just get so _angry_ ,” Kyungsoo explodes, “and I-I _don't know why_ , but it makes me do things that I sometimes regret but usually don't, but I _should_ , like nearly braining that jackass with a rock—”

“You were protecting me.”

“He was done after being knocked over... But I wanted to hurt him, Sehun, whatever the consequences, and I don't get how you could still want to be around a fuck-up like me, so if you're tired or afraid of me, just say so, and I'll leave you alone."

Sehun struggles to catch up with the boy, but he knows he heard the last part, and it makes his chest hurt. He pushes his blankets aside and crawls down to sit at the foot of his bed, closer to Kyungsoo, and takes his hand. "Soo... You are the greatest person I know. You're selfless. You think of others—like me—first, and insert yourself when you know I feel too helpless. You're not some brainless machine or monster. I trust you with my life." Sehun swallows thickly. "And I love you." He didn't know he really meant it until he says it. At some point, his hero worship turned into something else; something he thinks is better, if Kyungsoo does.

For the first time in years, he sees tears in Kyungsoo's eyes. Kyungsoo hasn't cried since middle school, and it was because Sehun had fallen from a tree and broken his wrist after trying to climb higher than him. Sehun's usually the one crying. Crying for himself, crying for Kyungsoo. He takes his shoulders and pulls him into a tight hug, pulling apart just enough to see his face and whisper, “ _It's okay._ ”

Kyungsoo relaxes a little. His hands are still behind Sehun's back. Their foreheads touch, and Kyungsoo closes his eyes. "Let me kiss you?"

Sehun's heart hiccups.

He nods.

It's just a soft, chaste kiss to his cheek, but Sehun thinks he feels more than thanks for his understanding. He thinks there's adoration that Kyungsoo doesn't know how to put into words, and he hugs him tighter.

**Author's Note:**

> I decided to try a prompt a day in May, not following any list. This came from **protect**.


End file.
